


To Worship Life

by bladespark



Series: A God Among Men (PZA) [3]
Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Actual Communication and not being stupid, Dom/sub, M/M, Part of bladespark's main Hades universe, Polyamory, Sort of mind control and sort of sex pollen but not really and it's all negotiated, Switching, Top Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Worship, bottom achilles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:54:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29249853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bladespark/pseuds/bladespark
Summary: Not long ago Achilles got a taste of what Zagreus could be like when donning the full mantle of his power as god of life.  He finds himself obsessed with the idea of worshiping that god, and not with the usual offerings of animal sacrifice or incense. But he knows Zagreus is submissive, of course.  Zagreus would certainly never want to reverse things and let Achilles serve him sexually...would he?
Relationships: Achilles & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), background Achilles/Patroclus - Relationship, background Thanatos/Zagreus, background Zagreus/Patroclus
Series: A God Among Men (PZA) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129379
Comments: 31
Kudos: 121





	To Worship Life

**Author's Note:**

> For everybody who read Taking Advantage and wanted Achilles and Zag to have sex while Zag was in full god-mode. I was there ahead of you guys.

Achilles was being distracted on duty again.

It was starting to feel more than a little ridiculous. He’d spent what felt like an eternity having no trouble whatsoever standing to attention at his guard post in the House of Hades, other than perhaps the occasional swiftly-repressed thought about how Zagreus looked, especially when he caught a glimpse of the young god’s ass. Now he had access to said ass whenever he wanted, but that had led to a train of events that had put all kinds of other thoughts into Achilles’ head, and it was truly difficult to keep his attention on what he was doing.

On the other hand, he was guarding a hall that contained not much, against nothing at all, given how nearly impossible it was for anything or anyone to attack a house located at the very heart of Tartarus itself. So as long as he managed to stay upright and keep his spear in his hand, it probably didn’t matter where his mind wandered.

Just now it was wandering to a moment he’d experienced some… Well, some time ago, it was very hard to track time down here. Months, probably. Weeks at least.

Zagreus had been attempting to prove a point, in the face of Achilles’ stubborn refusal to listen, and the young god had done something, something which Achilles knew he didn’t fully understand, but which Zagreus called “switching on” his divine aura. Zagreus, and the other Cthonic gods, for that matter, usually seemed like people. Strange people with strange abilities, and definitely to be respected, but people all the same.

When Zagreus had done that, though, Achilles had suddenly known he was standing before a god, and he’d ended up prostrate at Zagreus’ feet without even meaning to.

He’d tasted a bit of it from Hades, too, who used his aura when he wanted to particularly cow a member of the house who’d failed him egregiously. Achilles didn’t think any of the other gods around him had, Zagreus said that Cthonic gods tended to avoid using their auras, because they were so terrifying they made mortals scream and run, or faint, or generally be useless with fear.

Achilles had felt that, when Zagreus had invoked his power as god of blood, but there had been the other thing, the radiant, beautiful, transcendence that had been Zagreus donning the power of his other aspect as the god of life.

Something in that kept tugging at Achilles’ attention, and he was self-aware enough to know exactly what that something was.

He wanted to worship that beautiful, wonderful, loving god, and not with offerings of animal sacrifice or incense. He wanted to worship at that god’s feet and offer his body for that god’s pleasure.

That felt bizarre, given that said god was Zagreus, his former student, his frequent lover, who was so eager to please that he was always the one who ended up on his knees in front of Achilles. Zagreus liked it that way, and so the strange fantasies that kept floating through Achilles’ mind seemed entirely out of reach. And yet they persisted all the same. Perhaps he’d have to kneel and suck off Patroclus, once he was done with his stint here in the hall. It wouldn’t be the same, but it would scratch some of the itch. He and Patroclus had always switched easily, so he knew Patroclus would be happy to oblige.

He just kept catching himself wishing that Zagreus would do the same.

Achilles heard an audible sigh from the end of the hall, and glanced over at the balcony there. Unsurprisingly, Thanatos was standing at it, looking out across hell. Achilles suspected he knew the reason why. Having a sudden flicker of curiosity, and feeling just a little reckless, he said, “Missing our prince, Thanatos, sir?”

The god of death started, and turned around, giving Achilles a curious look. Then he nodded. “Very much so. He’s up on Olympus again, as you probably know.”

“Yes. But he’ll be back soon.”

“I know.” Thanatos sighed again. He walked down the hall and leaned against the wall next to Achilles’ post. “I can’t help worrying, while he’s away, though. He tells me not to, and in the moment he does, I believe him. He does that somehow, have you noticed? He’s so sincere, you can’t help but believe him. Then he goes, though, and I worry.”

Achilles blinked at the death god’s bleak expression. Not that Thanatos ever had anything other than a sober appearance. “Zagreus can take care of himself.”

That got the tiniest possible curl of a smile at the corner of Thanatos’ mouth. “I know. He can more than take care of himself. What he can’t fight he can charm. He has half of Olympus wrapped around his finger by now. That’s the part that worries me, though. He loves absolutely everyone he meets, unless they manage to earn his scorn. He loves everything from Sisyphus’ boulder to the damned bone hydra. And for the most part they all love him back.” Thanatos looked at Achilles, his pale eyes meeting the warrior’s scarce darker gaze. “Do you ever fear that? Do you ever fear that he’ll find a love great enough to take your place in his heart?”

Achilles shook his head. “I suppose I don’t, sir. But then I already know I’m not first in his heart. Nor is he first in mine. If one can rank and order such things. But I’ve loved my Patroclus so long and so deeply, nothing else can compare. And… Sir? He’s told me more than once that you are his greatest love.”

Thanatos nodded. “I… I never loved, before him. Sometimes I feel like a foolish mortal child, fumbling around, knowing nothing about what I’m doing.” He looked at Achilles again. “Forgive me, I don’t mean to interrupt your duty.”

Achilles shrugged. “I guard a few works of art from nothing at all. There’s little to interrupt.”

That faint, tiny smile appeared again on the death god’s face. “Has Zagreus ever told you he thinks you’re meant to be one of the works of art?”

“Ah…” Achilles felt his cheeks heat. “He did mention that once, sir.”

“He’s always admired you. I can understand why. I’m still sometimes baffled at what he sees in me.”

“Thanatos, sir…” Achilles had an urge to lay a comforting hand on Thanatos’ shoulder, but didn’t quite dare reach out and touch Death himself. “He talks about you a great deal. He may have admired me, but he’s utterly besotted with you.” 

Thanatos sighed again, but his small smile returned. “That’s reassuring to hear.”

The specter of Achilles’ current obsession prodded at the back of his mind, reminding him of something else Zagreus had said, once, about Thanatos. Before he thought, Achilles started to ask. “Sir…” Then he instantly thought better of it. Gods on Olympus, asking the god of death about his sex life was a terrible idea, even if they did share a lover.

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing, never mind.” Achilles’ felt his cheeks coloring further. He really was in a sorry state tonight.

Thanatos raised one eyebrow, the corner of his mouth quirking. “It didn’t sound like nothing.”

“Ah, well, I had a thought, but it would be over-personal to ask about. It’s not important.”

The soft chuckle that came from Thanatos surprised Achilles, and now he was smiling a real smile as he leaned against the wall. “We’ve both bedded the same man, so it’s quite possible that personal questions are entirely appropriate. You have me curious what personal thing you want to know, now. So you might as well ask. I can always say no to answering.”

“Ah, well, it’s only…” Achilles cleared his throat, feeling red to his toes. “When he’s with Pat and I, Zagreus is, well, submissive. But he said something once that suggested that he and you… I mean… That he’s…”

A faint hint of gold touched Thanatos’ cheeks. “Ah. That he’s the dominant one of the pair of us. It’s true enough, I suppose. Though I’m not…like he is.” He lifted his chin. “I don’t serve.”

“Er, no, I wouldn’t expect you to, sir.”

That got another of those soft chuckles. “People aren’t always what one would expect. But it’s true that Zagreus can be quite commanding—or perhaps it’s demanding—when the mood strikes him.”

“I can imagine that, sir.” He could imagine it entirely too well.

Thanatos smiled again, and then to Achilles’ further surprise he inclined his head in something that was almost a bow. “Thank you for reassuring me. And best of luck enticing Zagreus to show his dominant side. But my work calls me, so I must be off.” He took one step backward and was gone in a flash of light, leaving a stunned Achilles behind.

****

“Pat. Pat. What kind of mad afterlife is this?” Achilles was sprawled on the couch where Patroclus usually sat, and was in fact half on top of Patroclus sitting there. They were splitting a bottle of ambrosia, which was potent stuff. The euphoria of it wasn’t quite like alcohol, but it lowered inhibitions in much the same way.

“Uhm… It is very mad, yes, but I rather like it,” said Patroclus, his face half-buried in Achilles’ golden hair. “What particular madness has accosted you now?”

“Oh well…” Achilles cleared his throat, suddenly embarrassed. But this was Patroclus, who he could tell anything, so he said, “I found myself discussing my sex life with Death today.”

“That is a bit mad, yes. What about it? Something to do with Zagreus?” Patroclus began combing his fingers through Achilles’ hair, gently smoothing every tangle.

Achilles nodded, sighed and trying to relax into his lover’s attentions. “Yes. I’ve been having a few thoughts of late. Since… Well, since that business with my stupidity, and Zagreus using his… What did he call it? Aura? That thing, where you know he’s a god? You said you’d felt some of it.”

“Yes. A bit at first, where it was all light and wanting to worship, and more so later, when it turned to making my skin crawl.”

“That, yes.”

“What about it?”

“I keep catching myself thinking about what it would be like if he were to don that aura again and…command me.” Achilles flushed, shifting in Pat’s embrace.

Patroclus chuckled, low and warm. “Judging by the color you’re turning, you don’t mean in battle.”

“Ah. No. Not in battle.”

“Although I suppose it might involve his sword, hmm?”

Achilles nearly choked on nothing. “Pat!”

Pat brushed Achilles’ hair aside to nuzzle against his ear and said, “Nothing wrong with a little fantasy or two, love.”

“Yes, but the trouble is that after today’s conversation, I suspect that it might be possible for this to become more than a fantasy.”

“Ah. That explains, I suppose, why you’d be discussing your sex life with Death. He said something about his relationship to our prince?”

“I was damn fool enough to blurt out a question about it. Fortunately he didn’t seem to mind. He, er, in fact wished me luck in getting Zagreus to take charge of me.” Achilles knew he was blushing halfway to his toes by now, but Patroclus only chuckled gently again.

“I see. Well, I’ll second his wish, then,” said Patroclus laughingly. “Good luck.”

“You’re a cruel man, Pat.”

“Me?” Patroclus put on an air of exaggerated innocence, and Achilles laughed.

“Yes, you. You’re teasing me.”

“You’re so easy to tease, love.” Patroclus nipped his ear again. “But I do mean it when I say I wish you luck. Luck in your endeavor. Not mine, this time.” He grinned as Achilles rolled his eyes.

“Pat… I am capable of dealing with my own problems.”

“On rare occasion, yes.” Patroclus kissed the side of his neck lovingly, a silent reminder that he didn’t mean anything unkind by his teasing. “But you may recall that last time you kept putting everything off and avoiding the lad, until he came after you, and the time before that I had to speak up on your behalf.”

“You were speaking on your own behalf too,” grumbled Achilles. “But yes, I get your point.”

“I think you should consider how you want to approach him. Briefly. Say, right now. And then once we’re done here,” He nipped the side of Achilles’ neck by way of punctuation, “go do something about it.”

“Yes, mother,” said Achilles, feeling more than a little needled, though he knew Patroclus was right.

“Say, rather, ‘yes commander’ for I’ve given you your marching orders,” laughed Patroclus. “But for now, I believe I have some quite different orders to give.” That came with a sharper nip that made Achilles gasp, and for some time thereafter Zagreus was the furthest thing from his mind.

****

Feeling more than a little strange, Achilles knelt on the rug in front of his hearth and regarded the small collection of items he’d prepared.

He’d taken a little longer than Patroclus had originally suggested, to think of what to do. But after spending another very distracted shift on guard at the House of Hades thinking through what exactly it was he wanted, he finally arrived at the conclusion that if the point was to worship Zagreus, then he had the option of doing just that. One didn’t have to ask permission before making an offering to a god, after all.

He’d have to ask permission for what else he wanted, of course, and Zagreus certainly could refuse to accept the offering in any case, but it was at least a way to open the subject, and Achilles knew perfect well that a Zagreus had formerly fretted and chafed about not being the god of anything at all and not having any worshipers like most of the other gods did. So the offering in and of itself might be a kindness, even if it went no further than that.

Achilles propped up the sketch of Zagreus he’d gotten beside the fire. That had been the hardest thing to acquire. An image of the god one wished to worship wasn’t strictly necessary, of course, but he’d wanted to do this right. Fortunately he’d happened to know that Hypnos was something of an artist, and had managed to arrange for them to sketch a decent likeness in return for a bottle of “contraband”.

The rest he’d gotten from Charon, who could get one anything that could be got in the underworld. Not that he’d wanted anything wild, but it was true that few shades made offerings. Worship was a thing for the surface, for the world of life. The dead were past needing the intervention of the gods.

Except, of course, that Zagreus and his intervention had already given Achilles the greatest boon he could possibly have begged any god for. So even if nothing else came of it, this offering truly was appropriate. It just felt strange to be making. It had been a very long time since he’d last formally prayed, and doing so to Zagreus was…odd. But he was determined to forge ahead all the same.

The portrait in place, Achilles began by tossing a handful of incense into the fire. The room immediately filled with the sweet-sharp, smoky scent of it. 

The hearth was the home’s temple, the hearth fire a substitute for the great sacred fires where animal offerings were burnt so that their smoke could rise to the heavens. Incense was easier to manage, though, and anyhow, given how soft-hearted Zagreus could sometimes be, even if Achilles had been able to get an animal to sacrifice, he’d thought that a bad idea.

He laid out the pomegranate and the bottle of wine before the fire. Then he carefully uncorked the wine and filled a cup with it. Reaching briefly over the flame he spilled a splash of wine out as a libation, and spoke. “Lord Zagreus, god of life, I make this offering in thanks, and to beg for your favor. May I be blessed to serve you should this offering please you.”

There was an odd, muted sense of presence, and then Achilles’ heard Zagreus’ voice, puzzled and confused. “Achilles? What the hell?”

Feeling a small spark of mischief, Achilles couldn’t resist responding, “I’m glad my humble prayer reached your ears, My Lord.”

“Ah… Yeah, I guess it did. Which was…weird. Nobody’s ever prayed to me before. But why? Do you need something?”

“After a manner of speaking. Though I suppose it’s a want, not a need. But first… Is my offering pleasing to you? Will you accept it?” He held up the wine cup in one hand and the pomegranate in the other.

“Er. Yeah, sure, it’s pleasing. Uhm. I have no idea how this is supposed to. Oh. Oh I guess I can just, uh…” There was an odd little “ _pop!_ ” and then Zagreus was standing beside the fire. “Wow, okay. Hi.”

“Greetings, Lord Zagreus.” Achilles smiled, half amused, but half serious, and having to keep a sharp hold on himself lest sheer arousal at the thought of submitting to Zagreus-as-god make him do or say something particularly stupid. He held up the pomegranate and the cup of wine.

Looking entirely puzzled still, Zagreus took both, at at least one tiny bit of the tension eased in Achilles, though it was the smallest part of it all.

“This is really weird. I’ve never been, uhm, worshiped before? Why…?”

“Several reasons. For one, because I continually feel that I can’t possibly show you enough gratitude for reuniting my Patroclus and I. For another…” Achilles knew he was blushing, and that it was always dreadfully obvious on his fair skin, but he continued. “For another, I wanted to ask how you might feel about, ah, well…” He cleared his throat, looking for how to say it without sounding like a perverse idiot.

“Hmm?” Zagreus took a sip of the wine, still looking puzzled, but also looking pleased.

That was reassuring enough for Achilles to forge ahead. “I don’t know if you know, but Pat and I, we, er, switch quite a lot. And I’m given to understand you do sometimes as well. So, ah, I wanted to ask how you might feel about taking charge of me, instead of letting Pat and I take charge of you as we have been.”

Zagreus blinked at him for a moment, then smiled. “Oh! I see.”

“You don’t have to,” added Achilles quickly. “It would ruin the point if you were only doing it because I wanted it. It’s only that I keep thinking about how it felt, when you made me want to kneel the other day.”

Zagreus looked at Achilles for a long moment. He was still on his knees on the rug, Zagreus towering over him where he stood, despite being the shorter of the two. “You want me to put on my aura, then? And… What? Just do as I please with you? Order you to do things?”

Achilles tried to get a grip on the series of lustful fantasies that ran through him. “Either. I suppose… I suppose more the ordering, but… Definitely either.”

Zagreus nodded. “And do you want me to hurt you too? Or use the blood aura as well?”

Achilles shuddered. “No! Ah. No, I don’t want to be terrified. Or hurt. I mean, just a bit of pain, I suppose. I’ve always liked love-bites and such. But no.”

Zagreus grinned. “Just so _you_ know, for the future, I happen to like pain. And even a little bit of being terrified. But duly noted.”

“…we haven’t really talked things out as much as we should, have we?” Achilles felt a flicker of guilt. They’d talked a great deal about love and want, but not much about what specific acts were and weren’t okay.

The grin gentled to a smile, and Zagreus set the half-emptied wine cup on the mantle, then reached down, caressing Achilles’ hair. “It’s fine. I’ve always known I could tell you no if I didn’t want something, and I’m a god. It’s not as though you could physically harm me. I think me being a god is the point of all this, right now?”

Achilles bowed his head under that caress, feeling a shiver go through him. “Yes, My Lord.”

“Your worship is pleasing to me, Achilles. I will happily accept this offering, and I will happily accept your service. So.” He glanced around the room. “Hmm. I assume Pat’s not home?”

Achilles lifted his head and looked up again. “No. He’s begun developing a bit of a social life, and is out visiting another shade. Which I’m very happy with. He does also know to knock before coming in. I told him I’d be trying this.”

“Excellent. I seem to have acquired a very thoughtful worshiper. I hope you can turn that thought to my service.” Zagreus glanced around again, then crossed the room, still holding the pomegranate in his hand, and sat down in Achilles’ usual chair. Achilles hesitated, not knowing if he should rise or stay where he was. Then Zagreus said, “Catch!” and tossed the pomegranate at him.

Achilles caught it reflexively, startled.

“You may begin by peeling and seeding this for me. Here.” Zagreus, still smiling, pointed at his feet.

An odd warmth blossomed within Achilles, and he crossed the room to kneel again in front of Zagreus. He regarded the fruit in his hand, and frowned. He didn’t have a knife, which would make starting to open it difficult. Getting up and fetching one seemed not quite right, though. If he still habitually wore a belt knife… But he did not.

Achilles glanced up at Zagreus, who was lounging back in the chair, smiling at him with an air of mischief. This was a puzzle, or a test or…something, Achilles realized. He felt a tremor of worry. What if he did it wrong? Then he wanted to laugh at himself. This was Zagreus. What if he did? Zagreus was hardly going to smite Achilles for such a small failure. Still, the idea of just tearing into the fruit and crushing half the seeds because he didn’t happen to have a knife felt obviously wrong.

“My Lord?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, forgive me, My Lord. I don’t have a knife. I could open it without one, but I would spoil much of your offering.”

“That would be quite unfortunate,” said Zagreus, still smiling. He pulled a small knife from somewhere, though Achilles could have sworn he didn’t wear a belt knife either, and held it out. “Here.”

“Thank you, My Lord.” Achilles set about opening the pomegranate, cutting the peel neatly with the knife before pulling it apart to reveal the gleaming ruby seeds within. He handed the knife back to Zagreus with a bowed head and a murmur of thanks, already slipping happily into his service, letting go of self and focusing on pleasing his god. It was a good thing to be able to do. He could get to this sort of place with Pat sometimes, but only rarely. Being able to devote himself to Zagreus… He was very glad of it, and felt that warmth lingering with him as he set about his task. He was anticipating how much better it would be once Zagreus donned his holy aura, but it would be up to Zagreus to choose when to do so, and for now Achilles was happy enough to serve.

Having pulled out the first handful of seeds, Achilles again hesitated. He had no bowl to put them in. But then they were for Zagreus and he was right there. So he held them out, and Zagreus took them from his hand, saying, “You’re doing very well so far, my worshiper. My servant. Shall I call you that?”

A shiver went through Achilles. “If it pleases you, My Lord.”

“I think it does. Mmm.” The soft sound of pleasure made Achilles glance up again, and a different sort of shiver went through him as he watched Zagreus eat the seeds. He was deliberately sensual as he put them in his mouth and licked his fingers clean of the juice afterward.

When Zagreus finished the last one, he looked down at Achilles pointedly, and Achilles flushed, realizing he’d stopped his work. He lowered his eyes to his task, but as he continued to pull the seeds from the peel, it was hard to not look up and see the way Zagreus was eating them. He found himself already half-hard just from that, and it was terribly distracting.

Still, he eventually managed to finish extracting all the seeds, and set the pieces of peel aside in a neat pile.

“Very good, my servant,” said Zagreus, his tone warm, genuine. It felt almost silly to be praised for such a simple thing as peeling a fruit, yet Achilles felt it thrill through him all the same, and he sighed happily when Zagreus again stroked his hair. “Very good,” Zagreus murmured again. Achilles hummed in pleasure and leaned into the caress.

After a few moments Zagreus said, “I believe if you’re to truly worship me, it’s time to help you get fully into the appropriate…attitude.” He chuckled softly, withdrawing his hand. Achilles tensed, keeping his head bowed, fairly certain he knew what that meant.

Last time it had been like a match to dry tinder, a sudden flare of overwhelming power. This time it was slower, the growing light of the sun rising, perhaps, but no less intense. Achilles now knew he was kneeling in front of a god, a divine being as far above him as the surface world was above where he knelt now. He gasped with it, bending lower as the awareness filled him, his hands on the floor now too, head nearly touching the ground as he bowed.

“M-my Lord…” His voice trembled. Kneeling wasn’t enough. The offering and the service he’d given already weren’t enough. In the moment, though, all he could think to do was to put a kiss on Zagreus’ fire-glowing feet. They were hot beneath his lips, but didn’t burn him, Zagreus had always burned or not burned what he desired to. In his current state of mind, even that small grace felt like a blessing from his god.

“Mmm. You do well, my servant. Though please, tell me if this becomes too much for you.”

“Y-yes, my Lord.” Achilles couldn’t imagine that worshiping this glorious being could ever be too much, but some small, distant part of him was aware that all this was quite a lot, and it could very easily overwhelm him completely.

“Now, rise, and strip,” said Zagreus firmly.

Achilles shot to his feet. Fortunately he was wearing only a casual chiton, and not all his armor, so he was able to strip it off and toss it aside with no effort. He was about to drop back to his knees when Zagreus stood, holding his arms out.

“Undress me as well,” he said.

“Yes, My Lord.” Achilles found his hands trembling as he stepped close to his god. He began undoing buckles as swiftly as he could, pulling Zagreus’ pauldron off, then flying to start taking off his belt.

“Slower,” snapped Zagreus, and he tilted his head, regarding Achilles with his red eye, something he did sometimes, but now it sent a shock of fear through Achilles.

“F-forgive me, My Lord.”

Zagreus chuckled, the hard look turning to a twinkle of mischief. “I’m not angry, my servant. But please, worship is not to be rushed.”

“Of course.” Achilles bowed deeply, feeling flushed with shame, and slowed his pace. He recalled how Zagreus had always done things when undressing him like this—how bizarre to think, that his god had served him so!—and made his motions careful and deliberate. As he removed each bit of clothing or armor, and bared more of Zagreus’ flawless, pink-flushed skin, he dared to place reverent kisses here and there. The soft, pleased sigh that Zagreus let out thrilled him, so he continued, until he finally knelt and pulled down Zagreus’ leggings, leaving him fully nude, and bent to place one more kiss on his god’s feet.

Achilles stayed on his knees, then, but couldn’t resist looking up at his god, taking in the glorious sight of him. He could remember being stunned by Zagreus’ beauty when Achilles had first seen him as an as-yet unfinished youth. He thought that Zagreus now was a hundred times more beautiful, a being of utter perfection, and it was beyond amazing that he should be permitted to see, to serve, to touch and please his god.

Zagreus sat back down in the chair, feet apart, and beckoned to Achilles. He had one hand on his cock as he reached out with the other. “Come. Attend to this, now.”

Achilles felt an ecstatic thrill go through him. To be permitted to touch his god had been blessing enough, but to do this! He eagerly moved forward between Zagreus’ legs and reached out to caress his god’s cock, feeling it harden in his hand. “My Lord,” he murmured lovingly, and pressed a fervent kiss to the head of it.

“Ah… Yeah…”

Achilles shivered in bliss to hear such a sound of pleasure from his god. He wanted more, so he opened his mouth, taking Zagreus’ cock within it, sinking down slowly. He felt suffused with glory, blessed beyond mortal dreams. He was taking a god into himself, and he let out a muffled moan around Zagreus’ cock, his eyes closing as he focused on pleasing his god, his lord.

With another moan, Zagreus put his hand on the back of Achilles’ head, working his fingers through Achilles’ hair. He didn’t push down, but Achilles nevertheless sank down further, taking Zagreus’ cock as deeply as he possibly could.

His body was of spirit as much as flesh, but it imitated Achilles’ lost life in many ways, and for a moment he gagged at the intrusion. He knew how to manage it well enough, though, and soon he was working steadily back and forth, taking his god’s cock deep each time, thrilling at every moan and gasp that came from Zagreus’ divine throat.

Achilles could have stayed there, worshiping with his mouth, for an eternity, but eventually Zagreus tugged back on his hair. “Stop.”

Instantly, Achilles pulled back and glanced up at his radiant god to see if he had in some way displeased Zagreus, or if he had some other direction. Zagreus’ smile was reassuring, though, suggesting that all was well. Then, suddenly, he was simply looking up at Zagreus again, the divine aura vanished. The sudden change felt bizarre, disorienting, but settling back into something more like his right state of mind didn’t give him any regrets, save that he was puzzled why Zagreus had ended things so soon.

“How are you doing?” asked Zagreus.

Ah. Achilles instantly understood, and he smiled. “I’m doing fine.”

“It’s not too much, so far?”

“No, not at all. It feels good. To be honest, well… I sometimes tend to over-think things. You may have noticed.”

Zagreus chuckled. “I had, and if I hadn’t, Patroclus’ grumbling would have told me of it. He doesn’t like seeing you tie yourself up in knots.”

Achilles flushed, but nodded. “This… Knowing you’re my god and the only thing I need to worry about is pleasing you strips all that away. I don’t have to—can’t even—think about anything else. It’s good.”

“I’m glad. I’m enjoying it too! It’s nice to be worshiped. I never have before.” Zagreus’ smile was almost shy, and Achilles couldn’t help but be touched by it. “Shall we continue, then?”

“Yes. Please, My Lord.” Achilles bowed his head again, and gave a pleasant shiver as that sense of glorious power washed over him again. “What can I do to please you, My Lord?” He kept his head down as he waited on his god’s will, on the edge of prostrating himself entirely and kissing Zagreus’ feet again.

That urge was entirely derailed by a rush of shocked arousal as Zagreus said, “You can let me fuck you, is what you can do.”

_Oh gods!_ Achilles’ eyes went wide, and he looked up at Zagreus, feeling overwhelmed with bliss even at the _thought_ of it.

“Do you want me to, my servant?” Zagreus was looking at him with the red eye again, a dangerous sort of mischief visible in it, but Achilles wasn’t deterred by that at all.

“Yes, My Lord! Of course, My Lord! Please! I…” Achilles choked on his own words, not even able to express how much he wanted it.

Zagreus laughed, a fond sort of laugh, and stroked his hair. “Very good. So, since I don’t want to damage my one and only worshiper, I believe you should find some oil, _now._ ”

“Yes, My Lord!” Achilles rose hastily and darted out of the room. The bottle of oil kept for such purposes was, fortunately, exactly where he remembered leaving it beside the bed, and still about half full, too. He snatched it up and rushed back into the front room, though he slowed as he crossed the threshold, remembering Zagreus’ earlier admonishment that worship shouldn’t be rushed. He found Zagreus standing beside the fireplace, where the wine bottle and sketched portrait still stood, and he sank to his knees again, holding up the bottle of cool amber glass as an offering.

Zagreus took it from his hand with a smile. “Very good. Now, present yourself for me, so I may take you.”

_Ohfuck._ Achilles felt his mind nearly shut down, knowing that Zagreus was going to take him in only moments. What could he do, but eagerly obey? He bent over, first bracing on hands and knees, then lowering his shoulders, putting his face to the rug, and making certain his knees were far apart enough to spread himself as open as he could.

“Mmm. Yes. Very good indeed. Your worship continues to please me.” Zagreus chuckled, running a hand over Achilles’ ass, stroking and squeezing. His hand withdrew, and Achilles wanted to whimper at the loss of his god’s touch, but then he heard the pop of the bottle’s cork being pulled, and when Zagreus touched him again it was to press slick fingers against his entrance.

Achilles gasped. He’d known to expect the touch, but _oh_ , his god was slipping a finger within him! “Ah… My Lord… Oh, yes…”

“Good boy,” said Zagreus, chuckling again, and sinking a second finger into Achilles. Achilles whined needily, trembling as Zagreus gently stroked and twisted his fingers inside. It felt amazing, but he wanted more. He tried to press back, and Zagreus obliged him, sinking his fingers in deeper and angling them to find that perfect spot that made Achilles gasp.

“Oh! Oh, gods… Oh, thank you, My Lord.”

“You may wish to thank me more in a moment,” said Zagreus, smiling as he shifted to kneel behind Achilles. His fingers circled one more time, stretching Achilles out, then withdrew. Next Achilles felt the heat of Zagreus’ cock against him, slicked with oil, and an intense shudder went through him. His god was about to use him, and he wanted it more than he could have thought possible.

As Zagreus hesitated teasingly, pressing close but not sinking in, Achilles whimpered. “My Lord… My god, please!”

“Yes,” breathed Zagreus, and then his god pushed within him, and Achilles could do nothing but moan in pure, mind-melting pleasure. It left him panting, trembling, already more than halfway there, just from that first single stroke as Zagreus sank into him to the hilt.

Zagreus didn’t rest there, though, he immediately pulled his hips back and thrust in again, then again, setting up a deep, steady rhythm. Each stroke made Achilles cry out in pleasure, he couldn’t have held back even if he’d wanted to. He was beyond words now, beyond thought, all he knew was the radiant glory of his god that repeatedly filled him, and he pushed back eagerly into each thrust, feeling overwhelmed and on the edge of coming.

Moving faster, breathing hard now above him, Zagreus suddenly bent over and gripped a handful of Achilles’ hair. Achilles gasped as he was pinned roughly to the rug and Zagreus started taking him fast, almost brutally. It hurt, the pain keeping him on the edge when he felt he might otherwise have come untouched, but he clenched down hard on his god’s cock within him, still thrilled to be pleasing Zagreus so.

“Ah! Achilles! Yes!” Zagreus pulled harder on his hair, shuddering above him as he came hard, his cock pulsing within Achilles.

Achilles let out a wordless cry of pleasure and joy, overcome as Zagreus’ seed filled him. It was nearly too much, the world fading around him, and when Zagreus suddenly reached his other hand down and curled his fingers around Achilles’ cock, there was a white-hot moment of almost painful release as he came instantly at his god’s touch.

He heard a long, happy sigh from Zagreus, that sent a gentler wave of pleasure through Achilles, knowing he had done well, had pleased his god. Then the sense of divinity vanished, and it was only Zagreus, his former student, who pulled slowly back from within him and flopped down to sit on the rug. Achilles tipped over on his side with a groan. He felt sore and exhausted, utterly wrung out, but in the best possible way.

“How are you doing?”

Achilles opened his eyes, and eventually managed to focus on Zagreus. “Good. Yes. That was very…” His eyes slid closed again, words failing him.

Zagreus’ laugh was gentle. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Rest there, then, I’ll go see about getting us cleaned up.” Zagreus rose and vanished into another room, and Achilles merely lay where he was, feeling the soft fibers of the rug under him, the warmth of the fire against his back, and the pleasant ache within him.

Zagreus returned a few moments later with a soft, damp cloth, and gently cleaned Achilles, who rolled over limply at his urging to let him.

When that was done Zagreus bent and gave him a gentle kiss. “That was a wonderful experience. So thank you. It was good to have a worshiper for a while.”

Still drowsy and dazed, Achilles reached up to Zagreus, cupping his cheek. “Maybe not just for a while.”

Zagreus’ expression was puzzled. “I… What? But, I mean… I do still want to serve you and Patroclus sometimes, Sir.”

Achilles managed just enough coherent thought to immediately know how to answer that. “Then I shall consider that service a boon from you, My Lord.”

Zagreus blinked at him, then laughed. “I suppose I can live with that arrangement. But here, you need a rest, and a better bed than that rug.” He shifted, and scooped up Achilles in his arms. For a moment the warrior was startled, but of course despite being very much the shorter, Zagreus was incredibly strong, and so Achilles only put his arm around Zagreus’ neck, leaning in close, and let himself be carried into the bedroom and tucked into the bed there.

“Shall I stay with you for a while?” asked Zagreus.

“Please,” said Achilles.

Zagreus looked thoughtfully at the bed, then nodded. “I’m not that tired, but here.” He plucked a book from a shelf, where a small stack of them had accumulated, mostly Patroclus’ doing, though Achilles had added one or two to the pile. Zagreus climbed into the bed, leaning back against the headboard, and with a little sound of contentment Achilles put his head in Zagreus’ lap. He was, of course, no longer overcome with a sense of Zagreus’ divinity, but some memory of it lingered. Achilles had always known Zagreus was a god, but knowing and feeling were different things. He had felt as though the last traces of their teacher-student disparity in authority had finally vanished when he’d first felt Zagreus’ godhood, and now said godhood had firmly set things in the other direction.

So even without that radiant sense of the divine, Achilles thought it a blessing, to pillow his head in the lap of his god and let sleep claim him there.

****

Patroclus hummed happily as he strode up the path to the little house he shared with Achilles. He paused at the door, ears attuned to any hint of certain activities within, but he heard nothing. He knocked, a brisk rap of knuckles on the wood, and there was no answer. With a shrug he opened the door and stepped inside.

Scanning the room, he immediately noticed the little pile of pomegranate peels, the sketch propped by the fire, the half-emptied bottle of wine beside it, and the cup resting on the mantle. Patroclus smiled. He’d worried that Achilles would tie himself up in another tangle with too much thinking and not go through with it, but it looked like he had.

In the bedroom he found Zagreus, bare-chested and sitting up in bed, the coverlet over his legs. In one hand he held a book, a volume of poetry that Patroclus had gotten recently from Charon, and the other was gently stroking the golden hair of Achilles, who was asleep with his head in Zagreus’ lap, the rest of him tucked warmly beneath the blanket.

“Hello there, friend.” Patroclus kept his voice soft, to not wake his love.

Zagreus set the book aside and smiled, answering in the same low tone. “Hello yourself. Have a good visit with your fellow shades?”

“I did, yes. It looks like Achilles’ offering went well too?”

“It was a most worthy offering, I was honored to accept it.” Zagreus grinned.

Patroclus chuckled. “I’m glad. Both that he made it and that you didn’t mind it.”

Zagreus’ grin gentled to a softer smile. “It goes a lot beyond not minding. I’ve never been worshiped before. Never heard a prayer, never been giving an offering. That it was Achilles who first gave me that… It was special. Even if all he’d done was give me the wine and the pomegranate, I’d have been thrilled. The rest…” He looked fondly down at Achilles. “I don’t think any other offering could match being given his love and trust.”

“I can’t think of a god that’s more worthy of it than you, my friend.” Patroclus came over, and bent to kiss Zagreus’ forehead. He sat in a chair near the bed with a smile and added, “In fact most of the ones I can think of are far less deserving.”

“Pat…” Zagreus’ tone was scolding.

“What, it’s true! And it’s not like I need fear their wrath now. I’m a shade in Elysium, none of the gods can change that. Not even your father, unless for some mad reason I wanted to sign a pact with him.”

“Heh. True enough, I suppose.” Zagreus leaned back against the headboard again.

Patroclus found a particular thought running through his head, and gave it voice. “To be honest, I don’t think I’d mind worshiping you myself, my friend.”

Zagreus’ expression of surprise made Patroclus laugh. “Don’t look at me like that. If my Achilles can worship you, I can too.”

“I…” Zagreus laughed too, suddenly. “I could never say no to that, or to you. I wouldn’t want to! But just being the center of Achilles’ regard like that was something else. I can hardly imagine having the both of you focused on me at once.”

“It’s not as if we haven’t both had you at once before. I imagine it would be much the same, only dressed up differently.”

Zagreus shook his head. “No. Worship is different. It’s… Hah. It’s like having ambrosia, when you’re used to only nectar. It’s heady stuff. I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually. One must, or the Olympian gods would be half out of their minds all the time, from having so many worshipers.”

Patroclus snorted at that. “Maybe that explains some of what that lot gets up to.”

“Pat!” Zagreus’ admonishing voice grew loud, and he glanced down at Achilles, but the worn-out warrior didn’t stir.

Patroclus just grinned.

Zagreus rolled his eyes and said, quietly again, “Maybe you can’t get sent off to Tartarus, but Zeus could still smite you or something, you know.”

“He’s welcome to smite away.” Patroclus let his grin fade and added, “I’ve never been one to worship any god, but if I were to choose a divine patron, it would be you, no question about it.”

“Thank you,” said Zagreus, a flush coloring his cheeks.

Acting on impulse, Patroclus got out of his chair and went to one knee next to the bed. He took Zagreus’ hand in his own and lifted it to kiss the back of it. “You gave me my Achilles back. No one, god or mortal, has ever done more for me. If you want my worship, Lord Zagreus, it’s yours. Truly.”

“I… I said I couldn’t tell you no, Pat. I really can’t. Only… I don’t want to be worshiped as some kind of transaction. I never wanted anything in trade for all that nectar, and this more important than mere gifting.”

Patroclus smiled and shook his head. The lad was indeed a god, and the best of the lot, but he was still also a lad, young and earnest. “I’m not proposing a transaction. But you’ve been our prince for some time, and that’s been a sweet thing. You being our god, our lord… I think that could be even sweeter.”

At that Zagreus smiled, bright as the sun itself, down here where it never shone. “Being yours. Yes, I think that’s very sweet indeed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! And thanks for all the encouragement to finish this.
> 
> I have to say, it was very hard writing Achilles in this. The game doesn't give any examples of Achilles being worshipful, conciliatory, or subby at all. He's always very calm and collected, and what we know about him losing it is with *anger* not with submission, so... Dunno. Hopefully it came out okay.
> 
> Anyhow, if you'd like to see me talk about writing, my works in progress, other creative endeavors, and my life in general, check out [my Dreamwidth blog](https://bladespark.dreamwidth.org/) or my [twitter](https://twitter.com/bladespark).
> 
> I also now run a [multiship, adults-only, kink-friendly Hades server](https://discord.gg/zSUcd9s5rt). Feel free to join!


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